I Am Stretched On Your Grave
by Quigonjecca
Summary: An AU ending to the canon Anakin/Padme story. Based off of the song "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" by Sinead O'Connor, Kate Rusby and others. AU on-shot


I am stretched on your grave

_I am stretched on your grave_

_And I'll lie here forever_

_If your hands were in mine_

_I'd be sure they would not sever_

_My apple tree, my brightness_

_It's time we were together_

_For I smell of the earth_

_And I'm worn by the weather_

"I missed you…" Anakin whispered.

He tenderly fingered the dirt beneath his outstretched form. The sun dipped lazily behind the mountains. In the approaching darkness he thought he could make out her shape, sitting upright in front of him.

"…It's been too long since I've been here." He muttered into the darkness. "I've almost forgotten…"

He shook his head. "It doesn't really matter anymore. I took care of it." He flashed a smile. "I killed them all—all the ones who ever dare to hurt you.

"I killed Nute Gunray and the others of the Trade Federation; I killed the opposing senators and governors; I killed Palpatine for daring to cross you; I killed _all_ of them…" he hissed.

Anakin's eyes nearly glowed in the darkness, flicking back and forth, looking for something. "Do you hear me Padmé?"

_When my family thinks_

_That I'm safely in my bed_

_Oh from morn on to night_

_I'm stretched out at your head_

_Calling out unto the earth_

_With tears hot and wild_

_For the loss of the girl_

_That I loved as a child_

"They don't know where I am," he explained into the darkness. "Obi-Wan has been looking for me. I know he has." An edge of anger crept into his voice. "He's been waiting for me… he wants me to come back. I know he does. He wants to trap me!"

Anakin's voice rose louder, echoing through the still night. Insanity was his constant companion; hallucination his friend. In his wild imaginings, he thought he saw her glance at him disapprovingly.

"I'm sorry darling," He answered in a lower tone, sitting back down on the packed earth. He let handfuls of dirt fall through his fingers.

"I know you already know this," he tried again, choosing his words carefully. "But you were always the one… we were only children when I first saw you. Do you remember that, Angel?

"I remember how I knew, right then and there that we would be together forever." He felt a lump in his throat. "I remember knowing that I would always be there for you."

Anakin settled deeper into the dirt. Hot tears slowly began trickling down his cheeks. "I love you _so much_ Padmé." He gripped the dirt in his fist. "And I was never able to tell you that. They had to go and kill you before I could so much as let you know."

He exhaled and offered a manic giggle to the surrounding night. "But no one else will ever have to endure what you did, Angel. No one else will ever be ripped away from the one they love like that. And don't worry, my heart still belongs to you."

_Oh the priests and friars_

_Approach me in dread_

_For I love you still_

_But I'm live and you're dead_

_I still will be your shelter_

_Through rain and through storm_

_And with you in your cold grave_

_I cannot sleep on_

Anakin lowered one half of his face onto the dirt, and stroked the earth with his palm. "I tried to move on like Obi-Wan said. But he _never _would understand, Padmé. He never could see what we had—he never looked into someone's eyes and just _knew._

"Angel, no one else ever in the galaxy felt what I felt for you. You were my everything. I gave you my soul, and without you here, what am I supposed to do?

Anakin laughed. "I swear, back at the Temple, they were afraid of me. They said that I had changed—that I was _dark_. Dark? Can you believe that Padmé? But no, it was _them_—it was _their_ fault.

"They said I couldn't let go. And they were right. To let go of you would be to let go of myself. And I couldn't let that happen, could I?"

In the distance, Anakin could just barely make out storm clouds on the horizon. The air smelled of rain, and the vibrations of thunder resonated in his chest. "But don't worry, Angel." He whispered. "I'll _never_ leave you. Through the rain, and through the storm, I will stay by your side. I will be your shelter, and you can be my salvation. And we'll stay here forever, just you and me, under the stars."

He sighed. "I wish I could hold your hand one more time." A tear fell silently down his cheek. "I only held your hand once—and that was nine years ago. I was so young then… If I could hold your hand again, I would never let it go."

A brief moment of silence ensued, before Anakin started tracing lazy circles in the dirt. A light rain began to fall. "But they can't take me away from you now. They'll never find me here. I ran from them months ago, until finally I found your grave." He looked around, absently. "I'm glad you chose this spot—out in the country, away from everything. At least we can be alone."

"I can't breathe without you next to me, Padmé. I love you more than you can ever know. I will never leave you again, and we will be here together—always."

"I've wanted to die," he said softly. "So many times. But I've waited until now, so that we could be together." He gave the earth a last caress. "We were supposed to be together, in the end Padmé. And now we will be."

"Goodnight, Angel." He whispered to the earth, finally relaxing completely.

"I love you."

And with those final words, as the rain clouds poured in and lightning split the sky, he fell into a peaceful sleep—never to wake again.

Just like he wanted.

_So I am stretched on your grave_

_And I'll lie here forever_

_If your hands were in mine_

_I'd be sure they would not sever_

_My apple tree, my brightness_

_It's time we were together_

_For I smell of the earth_

_And I'm worn by weather_


End file.
